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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-11-20
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
20/11/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission autorise l'acquisition par Arbed du contrôle d'Aceralia
[02] Santé des consommateurs: les Présidents des huit Comités scientifiques
ont été élus
[03] Company law: amended proposal for a Directive on takeover bids
[04] Commission to commit ECU 100 million at Chernobyl Pledging Conference
in New York
[05] UE/Tunisie: 50 millions d'Ecus pour le développement rural et la
gestion des ressources naturelles
[06] Somalie: la Commission prépare un plan d'aide humanitaire de 2
millions d'Ecus
[07] Franz Fischler: "Committee of the Regions shares the goals of EU's
agricultural reform"
[08] Anita Gradin: "Preparatory work has already started for the entering
into force of the Amsterdam Treaty"
[09] Christos Papoutsis: "Let's fight against unemployment by introducing
concrete proposals and initiatives in favour of small enterprises and
crafts"
[01] La Commission autorise l'acquisition par Arbed du contrôle d'Aceralia
La Commission européenne vient d'autoriser le projet d'opération dans le
secteur acier par lequel le groupe luxembourgeois Arbed SA acquiert le
contrôle d'Aceralia Corporación Siderúrgica (Aceralia), par l'achat de 35%
des actions de cette entreprise auprès de l'entreprise publique espagnole,
Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI). L'opération
envisagée constitue la première étape du processus de privatisation
d'Aceralia. Lors des deux prochaines étapes, prévues très prochainement,
environ 11% des actions seront cédés à des entreprises espagnoles ayant des
intérêts dans le secteur sidérurgique; le reste sera vendu par SEPI à des
organismes financiers et aux particuliers par le biais d'une introduction à
la Bourse de Madrid. Les investigations de la Commission ont révélé que la
concentration ne donnera pas aux parties la possibilité d'augmenter les
prix ou d'échapper à l'application des règles européennes de concurrence.
[02] Santé des consommateurs: les Présidents des huit Comités scientifiques
ont été élus
Les membres des huit Comités scientifiques de la Commission européenne
(alimentation humaine; alimentation animale; santé et bien-être des
animaux; mesures vétérinaires en rapport avec la santé publique; plantes;
produits cosmétiques et autres produits non alimentaires destinés aux
consommateurs; médicaments et dispositifs médicaux; toxicité, écotoxocité
et environnement) ont élu leurs Présidents au cours des réunions
inaugurales qui ont eu lieu entre le 10 et le 17 novembre. Ces huit
Présidents deviendront membres du Comité Scientifique Directeur avec les
autres huit membres nommés par la Commission le 29 juillet dernier. Les
Comités scientifiques occuperont une position centrale dans le système de
consultation scientifique et leur rôle sera donc très important pour tous
les citoyens européens. Le système de consultation scientifique de la
Commission est maintenant complètement opérationnel.
[03] Company law: amended proposal for a Directive on takeover bids
Rules on information for employees of target companies have been introduced
into the revised version of the proposal for a Directive to coordinate
procedures for takeover bids that has been put forward by the European
Commission on the initiative of Single Market Commissioner Mario Monti.
The new rules would provide for employees to be kept informed once the bid
has been made public and for the offer document to be made available to
them. The Directive aims to guarantee legal certainty throughout the
European Union by means of a minimum level of harmonisation in accordance
with the principle of subsidiarity. The proposal has been revised under
the codecision procedure in the light of the opinions delivered by the
European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.
[04] Commission to commit ECU 100 million at Chernobyl Pledging Conference
in New York
In order to contribute to the final shut down of the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant, the European Commission intends to commit ECU 100 million ($
114.7 million) at a G-7 Chernobyl pledging Conference in New York today.
This amount doubles the European Union (EU) contribution to Chernobyl to
date. Taking the lead in mobilising international financing for the
damaged sarcophagus, the Commission is calling on the international
community to complement the EU in order to make the damaged Unit 4 reactor
safe. "The Commission was first in anouncing a substantial contribution
for the stabilisation of the sarcophagus", commented EU Foreign Affairs
Commissioner Hans van den Broek, "we now urge the rest of the international
community to do its share. The permanent closure of the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant by the year 2000 must remain our final target." The Commission
pledge follows the G-7 decision in Denver in June of this year to finance $
300 million (ECU 261.6 million) of the overall $ 750 million (ECU 654
million) needed to make the sarcophagus safe. The money comes from the
EU's Tacis programme, which has allocated ECU 505 million ($ 579.2 million)
since 1991 for improving nuclear safety in the former Soviet Union.
[05] UE/Tunisie: 50 millions d'Ecus pour le développement rural et la
gestion des ressources naturelles
La Commission européenne vient de décider une assistance financière de 50
millions d'Ecus (soit environ 61 millions de dinars tunisiens) au projet de
développement rural intégré et de gestion des ressources naturelles dans
huit provinces du Nord et du Centre de la Tunisie. Ce programme vise à
réduire les disparités régionales à travers trois objectifs: augmenter les
revenus des populations rurales défavorisées; améliorer les conditions de
vie de ces populations; assurer la protection des ressources naturelles et
en particulier des ressources en eau, dans le cadre d'un développement
durable et participatif.
[06] Somalie: la Commission prépare un plan d'aide humanitaire de 2
millions d'Ecus
La Commission européenne prépare un plan d'aide humanitaire d'urgence de 2
millions d'Ecus en faveur des régions de Somalie touchées par les
inondations. L'Office humanitaire de la Communauté européenne (ECHO),
responsable de la gestion de l'aide, est extrêmement inquiète quand au
degré de gravité des inondations qui touchent actuellement le sud de la
Somalie et des parties du Kenya et de l'Ethiopie. Une partie de ce montant
serait canalisée par le Programme alimentaire mondial pour soutenir les
coûts très élevés de l'opération logistique dans les zones affectées. En
raison des grandes difficultés d'accès dans les zones touchées, les
premières étapes de l'opération humanitaire se feront presque totalement
par voie aérienne. Le reste du montant sera utilisé pour une distribution
ciblée de l'aide humanitaire en faveur des plus nécessiteux.
[07] Franz Fischler: "Committee of the Regions shares the goals of EU's
agricultural reform"
Speaking to the Committee of the Regions in Brussels today, Agriculture and
Rural Development Commissioner Franz Fischler welcomed the fact that the
Committee shared the goals of the European Union's agricultural reform as
presented in the Agenda 2000. Concerning the committee's fear of
"economically and socially unacceptable" income losses for farmers, Mr
Fischler said he doesn't share this opinion because "market prices would
stabilise above institutionalised prices due to growing domestic and
foreign demand". Furthermore, farmers would react - as experienced in the
past - to changing price situations by reducing their costs and adapting
their investment decisions. He went on to say that in assessing CAP reform
one should make comparisons between the foreseen results of the reform and
the chaos arising from the status quo rather than with the market situation
as it prevails today which will not continue. Finally, Mr Fischler called
upon the industry as well administrations of the member states and regions
to support farmers in adapting to the new situation.
[08] Anita Gradin: "Preparatory work has already started for the entering
into force of the Amsterdam Treaty"
Anita Gradin, responsible for Justice and Home Affairs within the European
Commission, today announced her plans to present a broad communication to
the Council and Parliament on the implications that the new Amsterdam
Treaty will have for this field of cooperation. The announcement was made
in a contribution to the European Parliaments plenary debate on future
priorities in the Third Pillar. "The entry into force of the Amsterdam
Treaty will provide us with new and extended means of cooperation, with a
more momentous role to play for the Commission and the Parliament as well
as for the Court of Justice. It also provides for an ambitious 5-year work
program as regards the integration into the First Pillar of border controls
and migration and asylum issues. But cooperation will also be extended in
those areas that will remain within the Third Pillar, such as police and
customs co-operation and criminal an civil law", the Commissioner said.
"In my opinion, we therefore need a full picture of the implications of the
new Treaty. I hope that the communication we are preparing will - rather
like a White Paper - provide the basis for an in depth debate on how we are
to build a Europe genuinely based on freedom, security and justice". Mrs
Gradin also stressed that there will be no standstill awaiting the
ratification of the Treaty. The work program under the Maastricht Treaty
will be fulfilled and in particular she pointed to the Member States'
ambitious action plan against organised crime and corruption, where the
Commission has an important role to play in 20 of the plan's 30
recommendations.
[09] Christos Papoutsis: "Let's fight against unemployment by introducing
concrete proposals and initiatives in favour of small enterprises and
crafts"
(!!! embargo 1 pm !!!) European Commissioner Christos Papoutsis in his
opening address at the third European Conference of Crafts and Small
Businesses, which is taking place today and tomorrow in Milan, Italy,
emphasised the need to work on five big priorities: to promote an economic
climate for small and craft businesses, to promote creation of a European
"small business culture", to take account of the specific nature of the
sector from the stage of conception of measures in the economic and social
field, to encourage crafts and small businesses to participate in the
intercommunity cooperation as well as with third countries, and to increase
competitivity and innovation of the sector. Mr Papoutsis stressed once
again the need to develop a new culture regarding entrepreneurship in
Europe, which requires a clear commitment to education and training, by
introducing the concept in the educational systems and university
programmes. He also underlined to help small and craft businesses to have
easier access to research and innovation, as "we are looking at innovating
to tackle our employment challenge". (!!! embargo 1 pm !!!)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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